(footsteps, music) >> kieran lindsey is a wildlife rehabilitator. (elevator rings) her shelter is on the third floor of a houston shopping mall. normally, wildlife rehabilitation isn't the sort
of thing you'd find in a place like this. but in an urban world, you go where the people are. (music) >> found on the side of the road next to a great deal of traffic. that's probably not a good
place to be. (bird squaks) >> so when people say they have a big bird with a long neck and a sharp beak, we always ask them does it look like it's having a bad hair day. and they say yes, and we say,
why you have a yellow crowned night heron. >> oh, he's big enough to go in with my other guys. >> just like a regular hospital. there's no dignity. >> now, watch out, those claws. >> well, when we get these boxes like this, we have no
idea how big or small something is. and in this case we have a very large box for a very, very tiny, tiny little flying squirrel baby. look at you. a little girl. >> the shelter functions much
the same as a hospital emergency room. after the animal has been examined and treated, the patient goes home with rehabilitators who specialize in caring for that particular species. >> yea, a lot of people are
really surprised at how much wildlife we have in a city the size of houston. they'll call us up and say now don't think i'm crazy or something but i could swear i saw a great horned owl in the tree behind my backyard. and we'll say we don't
think you're crazy. we have them all over town. come here. ahhh. here we are. hold on. >> i think he fell from the tree and our cat had brought him in to the garage.
and we kept him overnight. i kept him warm. i got some information off of the internet. >> it does look like it may be showing some signs of a concussion so we'll want to try and treat for that. >> each year the shelter takes
in thousands of animals, from songbirds, squirrels, and newborn deer, to raccoons and even owls. the shelter offers a second chance for little ones who are having a run of bad luck. >> your eyes are starting to open.
and yours are already open. >> and they're full of complaints. these are the ones who don't, aren't totally out to kill you. yuk. but you've got some really weird things crawling around on you, and so we're going to
just dust you. i know, babe. you'll feel much better when i get those awful things off of you. >> are they fleas? >> no, they're not fleas. i've never seen them before. they've got big white bellies.
>> most people have good intentions, but caring for wildlife can be very tricky. it's not nearly as easy as it seems. the people who tried to raise this wild bird didn't mean any harm. but it's the bird who must pay
the price for human ignorance. >> i would say that these people have actually had this bird since probably it was just a week or so old, maybe two. the way that the feathers are fringed on the end tells me that this bird has been
in a wire cage. you see how even in the feathers in the middle here they're very light colored? that's completely abnormal. no matter how much more this bird develops or matures, these wings, these feathers are never going to be able to
support flight. this is a sad, sad situation. >> many injuries will heal in time. but no amount of care can repair twisted bones or stunted growth. >> this animal has been caged improperly, feed improperly.
he's starting to shake. he's had enough. i really don't have any choice in this matter but to put this bird out of its misery. this is a sad baby. (bird chirping) >> there you go. oh, yea.
>> one of the hardest things for people to understand is the difference between "rescuing" and "kidnapping". just because a baby animal is on the ground doesn't mean you should pick it up and take it home with you. truth is, the best place for
a baby to be is with his parents. so, as long as the animal isn't injured or in immediate danger from dogs, cats, or kids, it's usually best to leave the animal alone. >> where you going little man, huh?
these little screeches are so neat. >> doctor fred soifer is the shelter's veterinarian. >> he was hit in the eye with a paintball. that is just pitiful. >> this little fellow was found in the park, and his
eye was really swollen. he was not going to self-feed. if he had been left there, he would have died. >> cases like this one are frustrating because of the cruelty involved. when the boys intentionally shot this bird with the
paintball, they were condemning him to what could have been a slow, painful death. but this owl is lucky. he'll be going home with beverly sandvik, who's one of over two dozen permitted rehabilitators who volunteer with the shelter.
>> and this screech owl still has some hemorrhage in his eye but it has cleared up considerably since monday. he's still on antibiotics. let's see if he'll eat some more juice. actually, this bird is old enough it's an adult and it
should be feeding itself. and if it wasn't feeling lousy, it would be. >> it's two months later and the owl has been moved to beverly's back yard. he's joined dozens of other birds preparing for their eventual flight to freedom.
(birds chirping) >> the owls are ready for release, the weather is clear. they have all been self-feeding and flying real well. and it's time for them to move on. (music) >> a wildlife rehabilitator
spends weeks or even months nursing a creature back to health. the only reward is a deep sense of joy every time an animal returns to its natural habitat. there is no expectation of gratitude. the rehabilitator must be
driven by a fundamental belief that the best place for a wild animal, is in the wild. >> look at her go! good job! wow. look at the height. she's just so happy to be up there.
that's so cool.
